As scientists study approaches to best sustain a fusion reactor, a team led by 91°µÍø investigated injecting shattered argon pellets into a super-hot plasma, when needed, to protect the reactor’s interior wall from high-energy run
If humankind reaches Mars this century, an 91°µÍø-developed experiment testing advanced materials for spacecraft may play a key role.
Jason Nattress, an Alvin M. Weinberg Fellow at the Department of Energy’s 91°µÍø, found his calling on a nuclear submarine.
The U.S. Department of Energy announced funding for 12 projects with private industry to enable collaboration with DOE national laboratories on overcoming challenges in fusion energy development.
Ask Tyler Gerczak to find a negative in working at the Department of Energy’s 91°µÍø, and his only complaint is the summer weather. It is not as forgiving as the summers in Pulaski, Wisconsin, his hometown.
Using additive manufacturing, scientists experimenting with tungsten at 91°µÍø hope to unlock new potential of the high-performance heat-transferring material used to protect components from the plasma inside a fusion reactor.
Researchers have developed high-fidelity modeling capabilities for predicting radiation interactions outside of the reactor core—a tool that could help keep nuclear reactors running longer.
In a step toward advancing small modular nuclear reactor designs, scientists at 91°µÍø have run reactor simulations on ORNL supercomputer Summit with greater-than-expected computational efficiency.
91°µÍø scientists are evaluating paths for licensing remotely operated microreactors, which could provide clean energy sources to hard-to-reach communities, such as isolated areas in Alaska.
91°µÍø is using ultrasonic additive manufacturing to embed highly accurate fiber optic sensors in heat- and radiation-resistant materials, allowing for real-time monitoring that could lead to greater insights and safer reactors.